When you should report a diving incident

We are often asked if a particular incident should or should not be reported. All incidents and accidents should be reported, not just serious ones. A great deal can be learnt from analysing a 'near miss' or oversight.

The information and research gathered from incidents which are successfully resolved is just as valuable as those which result in injury to people or loss of or damage to equipment.

BSAC welcomes reports from all sources, including the SAA, SSAC, PADI, MCA, RNLI and managed inland sites such as Stoney Cove for example.

Who should write the report?

It doesn’t need to be the person who is directly involved in the incident who writes the report. Anyone witnessing an incident is welcome to submit a report; we take great care not to duplicate information. If in any doubt, please submit a report.

Please note: Reports submitted are treated in the strictest confidence and no personal identifying details are included in the published Annual Report.

The report aims to identify the factors leading to and the progression of the incident and so locations, vessel identification and the names of individuals or groups are not recorded.